[SOLVED] CPU usage dropping and at the same time frames dropping

[mtn_drew]

In multiple games I have been experiencing frame drops (lag spikes). I am usually running these games at 70-90 fps and my frames randomly drop to about 10. At the same time this happens, my CPU usage drops. I have been troubleshooting for about a week now and cannot figure out why this happens.

Things I have tried
1. Re-installing graphics drivers
2. Playing at lower graphics settings
3. Checking all temperatures
4. Re-installing windows
5. Looking for other programs taking up usage on task manager
6. Re-inserting GPU and RAM
7. Updated BIOS
8. Tested hard drive

Here are my specs:
GTX 1060 3gb
Ryzen 3 2200g (integrated graphics disabled)
SeaSonic 520w bronze 80+ certified
8gb of Patriot Viper Elite DDR4-2133 memory
Gigabyte B450 DS3H Motherboard
Seagate FireCuda 1TB Hybrid Drive

Your help would really be appreciated!

 

[winks42]

Make the game high or real-time priority in task manager.

 

[boju]

If that's a single 8gb stick of ram that would be holding your cpu back quite a bit, in speed, capacity and dual channel bandwidth.

How mach ram is available to you in Windows? Some cases where igpu is disabled, some memory is still allocated, sitting there doing nothing as windows doesn't know what to do with it.

In the bios, check igpu allocated memory size is lowest it can be.

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Windows also can already consume quite a bit of memory for itself, between 1.5~3GB. If igpu's memory was already set lowest, 8GB ram still doesn't leave much for games, even worse if igpu memory was set high. Say if igpu allocated size was 2GB and Windows takes say 2GB, thats only leaves you with 4GB available memory.

With games and graphics cards today, 16GB ram is recommended. Less ram can see HDD's pagefile gets used more causing slow downs. An SSD would help pagefile speeds more than an SSHD would in this instance.

Graphic cards vram data spools into system ram + cpu related ram data, there needs to enough ram for the two. More data flowing in ram rather than a HDD/SSD the better.

 

[mtn_drew]

Make the game high or real-time priority in task manager.

Didn't do anything. Thanks though

 

[mtn_drew]

Where could I find that intagrated graphics dedicated memory size in my BIOS. Is there anything else it could be called?

 

[boju]

How much memory is available in task manager?

Igpu allocated memory size might not be an issue. It's found here;

[video="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OErayjoFdU&t=2s"][/video]

Seeing you don't know where it is, memory size would most likely be set to auto. Follow the steps the video takes, set to 64MB and disable igpu again afterwards.

 

[mtn_drew]

Ok, so 16gb of ram didn't fix it. Then I changed the bios setting for igpu memory and it still studdered. So I really am confused. Oh and all 8gb's are present in task manager.

 

[mtn_drew]

Wait, it says only 5 GB are available. Is that what you mean? And only 3 in games.
https://unsee.cc/701b6315/

 

[boju]

Link doesn't work.

What do you mean 16GB ram? Did you try another 8GB ram?

5GB available ram means thats whats available to be used for programs you run.

 

[mtn_drew]

Yes, I tried another stick. And I will post a video of my problem if you want. Would that help?

 

[boju]

If you can might help. Record a video playing game where drops happen and use Msi Afterburner to on screen display usage stats for cpu, gpu, ram, pagefile and temps for cpu & gpu.

There are youtube tutorials how to setup Msi Afterburner.

Which slot did you put the 2nd 8GB stick? 4th slot? 2nd and 4th slot from cpu should be used with one or two sticks.

 

[mtn_drew]

Yeah, my ram was in the right spot specified by my motherboard. I will record a video of MSI Afterburner and send it your way via YouTube.

 

[mtn_drew]

So here's my video. For some reason this time it was my gpu usage dropping and not my cpu. https://youtu.be/WRp8t-vJztE
The video is extremely laggy for some reason. OBS must have been messing it up. I could record another one if you want. Sorry I didn't notice earlier.

 

[boju]

So here's my video. For some reason this time it was my gpu usage dropping and not my cpu.

Recording uses more cpu so that's not surprising. 2200g can't handle playing and recording at the same time.

Multiplayer does demand quite a bit from cpu, ram and gpu so there's really nothing wrong with your system. Just needs to be improved.

Upgrade cpu to 2600/2700 for the extra threads. 4c cpus just aren't enough.

Ram. 16GB is recommended. 3000 or 3200MHz would be ideal. Your pagefile activity would be high with 8GB. That will slow things down considerably and would cause usage drops while cpu/gpu need to wait for the HDD.

So it's a combination between cpu and ram letting you down. 4 cores + slow ram & capacity not doing you any favors. Your games will run much better with these upgrades.